Mash Paddle

[beerbelly]

Just got my new ss mash paddle from the G&G 900mm handle with a flat blade and i was just wondering should i drill some holes in the blade or just leave it flat.Would having holes in the blade help to break up dough balls and make it easier to stir or doe's it not matter.

Thanks, Beerbelly

 

[peas_and_corn]

I have an alu paddle and I don't have any holes in mine, it works fine, no dough balls or anything. However I don my flame suit just in case.

 

[jimmyjack]

How do you mash in? I have had both and prefer a mash paddle with holes, it seems to cut the mash better.


JJ

 

[peas_and_corn]

I used to just drop the water on top with a silicon hose, now I underlet. No real problems either way, but underletting is easier.

 

[mika]

My stainless paddle looked a bit average around some of the welds that had been ground smooth. Now after a bit of use, where the welds ended a bit of rust is showing thru and on the weekend I dunked it in some water for cleaning and it gurgled at me Damn thing has a crack with a couple of areas looking a bit suss :angry:
The ones from GnG might be of a better quality, but have a careful look, would be a nasty place for a bug to hide, up inside the handle where you can't see it and where it may not be sanitised during a boil if you're using it as a kettle spoon.

As for mash paddle, go the holes..it's how they're meant to look

 

[peas_and_corn]

Not meaning to sound impertinent, but why?

 

[beerbelly]

Thanks for the replies ,i think i will drill some holes in the blade ,but the only other thing i am worried about is whether it will get rust marks around holes.

 

[warra48]

Why are you worried about rust?
You only stir the mash with it, then clean and dry it, so what's the problem?

 

[beerbelly]

I guess there is no problem so i will definetly drill some holes.

 

[mika]

Why are you worried about rust?

Stainless will rust if something breaks the protective oxide covering. It may be necessary to buff the holes to ensure there are no imbedded ferrous particles. I wouldn't be overly concerned about it, but worth weighing up in your mind before grabbing the holesaw.

 

[Bongchitis]

Good quality stainless does not rust easily. Drilling a hole will not make it rust. Welding will not make it rust unless you use a different grade of SS in the weld and the weld is poor and pitted.
What is not good for any metal is constant immersion in liquid, oxygenated water at the air/water interface along with a small amount of ions in the water will cause corrossion.

Contact with another metal that is different (even other grades of stainless) will cause corrossion to one metal or the other depending on the metals reduction potential which is dictated by the metals constituents.

Drill the holes, smooth the burrs/welds and dry it when you are finnished. Not an issue.

Mika, without seeing your paddle I would say that if its gurgling at you then the weld is cracked and retaining water and thus corroding, not because the welds have been ground down. Removing a suppossed oxide coating will not make it rust (Iron oxide is rust????) and why would a stainless material require an oxide coating anyway?

 

[Adamt]

Stainless forms a chromium oxide coating which inhibits surface corrosion... break this and its corrosion-central.

By the way, Mika's post was 9 months back!

 

[mika]

My comment on the ground weld's was that, in grinding it smooth they had made the base material so thin, that yes, it cracked.
I've seen stainless steel (316) rust at the bend line when it's been put thru mild steel press dies. I've seen stainless steel (316) that's been exposed to falling ferrous grinding spray, rust. I have a HLT TIG welded with stainless filler wire, that's fine where's it's been welded (and exposed to the Argon shield) but on the back side (didn't know enough about welding stainless then) because we didn't back purge, it keeps rusting. Over here I can't get pickling paste, so I gotta live with it.
Stainless will rust, take every precaution you can to avoid it rusting. If you use the 'she'll be right' attitude, maybe it will, maybe it won't be, do you really want to take that risk ?

 

[Cortez The Killer]

I just got myself a stainless mash paddle from the local commercial kitchen supplier. Was previously using a wooden one with holes in.

After using the new paddle I am gonna put some holes in

Just makes the stirring action a little smoother

Cheers

 

[schooey]

I have the same paddle, dude, I've never got around to holesawing the holes in it... It works fine, just a little harder to pull through the mash, but I only really stir at dough in to get rid of any dough balls and once the grain bed is set, I underlet

 

[Back Yard Brewer]

Just got my new ss mash paddle from the G&G 900mm handle with a flat blade and i was just wondering should i drill some holes in the blade or just leave it flat.Would having holes in the blade help to break up dough balls and make it easier to stir or doe's it not matter.

Thanks, Beerbelly

If you are going to drill holes be very carefull you don't butcher it while trying. Nice cleanly drilled holes are not the easiest things to drill, especially in the thinner type metal such as paddles. I learnt that one from experience.


BYB

 

[captaincleanoff]

how important is a good mash paddle? I biab, and am currently using a long wooden spoon. Getting about 70% efficiency.. I've been really tempted to get a beerbelly SS mash weapon... just wondering if it is worth the investment. Mainly want it for the bling.. but will it actually increase efficiency, even slightly?

 

[Supra-Jim]

Mainly want it for the bling..

As good a reason as any i think!!! :icon_cheers:

Cheers SJ

 

[Bongchitis]

Stainless forms a chromium oxide coating which inhibits surface corrosion... break this and its corrosion-central.

By the way, Mika's post was 9 months back!

I think you will find that chromium oxide does not form on stainless but is heat treated with a chromium solution to achieve a surface coating for aesthetics and surface protection (abrasion, not particularly corrosion) at the time of manufacture.
yes, if you break this coating it will be more likely to corrode due to local electrochemical interactions, but as stated above, keep it dry and clean and it is highly unlikely to do anything!

Normal or 'raw' stainless does not have this coating as if it did you would find it very hard to weld it... this is why it is so hard to weld Aluminium (using argon) as the oxide does form under standard conditions let alone the heat generated from welding.

Yes stainless does rust... under certain conditions, as stated above,such as contact with other metals so mika's post is just supporting what I am saying... grinding fragments etc.

And since when is there a statute of limitations on replying to a post and trying to help someone? And why would you post something even later than that if 9 months was an issue for you?

 

[browndog]

think you will find that chromium oxide does not form on stainless but is heat treated with a chromium solution to achieve a surface coating for aesthetics and surface protection (abrasion, not particularly corrosion) at the time of manufacture.

Utter rubbish.


cheers

Browndog